12/04/08 Finally PILT

Some things take a long time to get to where they need to be. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back to explain. It can sometimes take years to get certain things up to speed. Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) from the federal government to local governments is no exception. The Secretary of the Interior, Dick Kempthorne has announced that over $1.5 billion will be sent to local jurisdictions through the year 2012. Payments in Lieu of Taxes come to counties that have federal lands within their boundaries that cannot have taxes levied on them. Full PILT compensations have not been paid since 1994. In June 2008 over $228 million was sent to about 1,850 county and other local governments. This November nearly 130 million additional dollars will be distributed under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, signed by President Bush on the 3rd of October. Since 1994 only 41 to 77 percent of PILT entitlements have been sent since funding levels were subject to appropriation. This year ten western states will receive more than $20 million each and 23 other states will get from $10 million down to $1 million each. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 makes the PILT program mandatory so full entitlement payments will be made to local governments through 2012. This money could not come at a better time for local governments. I'm Jeff Keane. Western Ag Reporter 11/13/08